This I Believe: The Power of Voice

I believe in the power of identity, the power of voice. I believe that students need to tell their stories.

I don’t remember exactly when I found my voice as a writer. At a very young age, my father started writing our family Christmas stories as an annual tradition. It was his Christmas gift to us. My parents always encouraged me to write my own stories, whether they be silly, serious, or just plain weird.

My elementary school had a Young Authors Program, and we “published” our own books every year in beautiful white, hard-bound books. The topics of these stories were our choice, and individual creativity was highly valued and encouraged. Both my second grade story, “The Secret Island” and my third grade story, “Peaches and Cream, Incorporated” received an “honorable mention,” which at the time felt like a big, big deal. My writing identity started to develop. I felt that my voice was valued.

Last spring, I assigned my sophomores to write a personal narrative. After some pre-writing, their assignment for the next class was to write a paragraph, . . .it could be from their beginning, middle, or end. . .just one paragraph to get their feet wet.

*T arrived the next class and informed me that she’d written seven pages.

I took *T’s seven pages home and read them that night. She wrote about her first real experience with racism when she was 10 years old. Her words brought forth both goosebumps and tears.

*T needed to write this story. She told me later that she finally felt like she could tell it, like it was her time. She was inspired by other people around the country and the world who have shared their stories. She felt like up to this point, her voice was silenced.

*T was incredibly proud. She even commented that if she had a t-shirt with her story written on it, she would wear it often. She felt that her voice was valued.

I asked *T how her teachers now could encourage her to use more personal voice in her writing. She said one way would be to share some of their stories.

I believe that my students have important stories to tell. I believe that they’ve already lived big lives worthy of sharing before they walk through my classroom door. I believe in showing students that I value their stories, and I believe that pride is the most powerful emotion my students can experience.

I believe in the power of vulnerability. If I want my students to share their stories, then I must share mine. . . not just those cute ones from elementary school.

• full name disclosed for anonymity